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AUGUST 2009

AUGUST 5

Benjamin was not an easy birth. Two days of grueling labor.
His arms could have been thinner and bent a little more. His ball has a bump in it. His suit is crumpled, crooked and stained. Not perfect at all. But he's our kid and we love him.
 
Benjamin consumed me for a while, so not a lot to update.
 
I tested out the repaired saw+power tool table. It works quite well. I rolled it right over my foot. #$@& (a polite way of decribing how THAT felt).
 
I unpacked all the doors and windows for the Thornhill. %^$#. Most of the openings need to be enlarged. That's going to be quite a joy (NOT), with my battery operated dremel gone kaput. I'll have the corded one wrapped around my throat and arms, and any other body parts that get in the way.
It's so much fun being the "Misfit Miniaturist"
 
I lucked out with my unpacking. I found the frame for the fireplace part of the wall that will be all built in's. I'd forgotten I started it. It needed to be sanded down (which is why I pulled out the tool table). TL. The inner frame is plywood that has become petrified. No sanding that. GROAN. I used my shoulders to lift the upper floors, so I could slide it into the room. It fits fine once it's in place so I THOUGHT I was good to go. NOT!!! DH reminded me that the shifting of the floor will cause upper doorways to be tighter. MORE sanding with the dremel.
I can hear it now > "The dremel has sucked me into the Thornhill and I can't get out"
(check in on me in a few weeks)
 
AUGUST 8
I did some test fitting of the paladian windows (Thornhill) and discovered that I have to remake every set of window frames in the house. I have become SO frustrated, not by the work, since I expect that when I'm trying to make a "kit" house look realistic. I am frustrated by TIME.
DH is trying to calm me, by reminding me of all the "mini" detours I have taken in the last 5-10 years. He says that now that I am back at doing what I love most about minis, time should not matter. He's right. Finishing never mattered much to me, but the journey did. 
My big "little" houses are real houses, and I went into this expecting them to be forever works in progress, as all houses are.
I lost that "love of the journey" for a long while. I know when and why, but I'll save the long story for another day. (short version >peer pressure. I was 48 at the time).
I'LL NEVER GROW UP :-)
 
AUGUST 9
A day away from the Thornhill ;-) If I don't change it up every now and then I get frustrated, impatient and bored. I like to play "general." Do they ever show up every day? LOL!!!
 
Today I showed up at the Bostonian. I layed out and marked the floor plan. It's going to be a B+B, with 4 bedrooms, 2 and1/2 baths, kitchen, dining room, and living room. I didn't change the floor plan much. I opened up a dormer and added a porthole window. That will be a little play area. I took part of the dining room to use as a 1/2 bath. I also opened the floor below the tower, to allow light to come through.
I have the wallpaper templates cut for the top floor.
The Bostonian is a very involved property. It's not a difficult build, but every window and door has to be assembled from a gazillion pieces. (I need a laborer) ;-)
 
I also took a trip to the annex. This is the mini neighborhood of dumpster dives, smaller kit houses, and the camp ground.
DH and I were finally able to get all of the camping tents off the plexi glass bases. I repaired one tent, and planned the layout of the camp ground. 

A good mini day.
 
AUGUST 19
I've made some progress YAY!
DH replaced my battery operated dremel. I think he was afraid I'd strangle myself with the electric one. LOL!
I've used it to sand the doorways in 4 of the rooms so far. I started with a grinder, but discovered the sanding disc works much better and is much quieter. I thought the sanders wouldn't work because the wood is so old, but I thought wrong. It's pretty easy, but very messy. I'll use the flexible shaft when I do the difficult to reach openings.
 
I remade all the palladian window frames, and made a frame for the kitchen window (a difficult fit, so that took a lot of re-doing).
I'm proud to say I did perfect miters in size and joint. Previously THAT skill had eluded me for a dozen years. A GOLD STAR FOR ME. :-)
 
I spent one whole day mixing paint. That was fun. I tried about 15 different colors and color combinations before I came up with one that would blend with the wallpaper, furniture, counters and rugs.
 
Another whole day (or 2) I spent laying out (and finding) trims and woodwork. When you stay away from projects for too long, it's not easy to remember what goes where. It's also not easy to replace parts, or find new ones that will match.
 
DD gave me a belated Mothers Day gift. NEW CHISEL'S. Mum is very happy.
 
AUGUST 21
The dremel has become my new best friend.
 
I made a new top for the kitchen table. I used the packaging from the chisels. A knife wouldn't cut through it, so I had to use the kitchen scissors. Then I smoothed the edges with the dremel.
 
The dremel worked on the petrified wood of the fireplace box too.
 
I finished painting the kitchen woodwork. I'm pleased with my color mixture. The wallpaper looked so boring, but the odd color makes it "pop."
 
I did a bit of work on the walls rooms. I had to re-install cabinets that had let go due to the humidity. Faux windows and a few accessories have fallen too.
 
We had to rearrange the layout of the houses in the family room. Even with the new big wheels on the Church table (which holds my supply of wood), I was having trouble moving it around. The hunt is on for industrial wheels.